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MOM HAGAR (Verbatim Conversation)
Mom Hagar Brown lives in her little weathered cabin on forty odd acres left by her husband, Caleb Brown. Caleb died in Georgia where he had been sent to the penitentiary for stealing a hog that another man stole. Aunt Hagar has grands settled all around her and she and the grands divide up the acreage which is planted in corn, sweet potatoes, cotton, and some highland rice. She ministers to them all when sick, acts as mid-wife when necessary, and divides her all with her kin and friends - white and black. She wages a war on ground-moles, at which she laughs and says she resembles. Ground-mole beans almost a foot long protect and decorate her yard. She has apple and fig trees, and scuppernong grape vines grow rank and try to climb all her trees.
(Monday morning she hobbles up on a stick - limping and looking sick.) Comes in kitchen door.
Lillie: "Aunt Hagar, how you?"
Hagar: "Painful. Doctor tell me I got the tonsil. Want to represent me one time and take them out. I say, 'No Doctor! Get in hospital, can't get out! Let me stay here till my change come.' Yeddy? I ain't wuth! Ain't wuth! Ain't got a piece o' sense. Yeddy? Ellen say she want God to take she tomorrow? When you ready it's 'God take me now!' All right son!" (Greeting Zackie who enters kitchen.)
Zackie: "Aunt Hagar, how you feel?"
Hagar: "I ain't wuth son. How's all?"
Zackie: "Need a little more grits!"
Lillie: "Hear Zackie! Mom Hagar, that ain't hinder him ordering another!" (The fact that food is scarce doesn't limit Zackie's family.)
Hagar: "You hear bout this Jeremiah broke in somewhere - get all kinds likker and canned things and different thing?"
Zackie: "Must a broke in that place call 'Stumble Inn!' (Very seriously.) That Revenue man been there."
Hagar: "I yeddy last night! Say he there in news-paper. Mary say, 'see 'em in paper!' Mrs. White gone to child funeral. That been in paper too. Mary see that in paper. Easter say old lady gone dere. Doctor say better go. Child sick. Child seven years old. Fore they get there tell 'em say, 'Child dead!'
"People gone in patch to pick watermillon. Ain't want child to go. You know chillun! Child gone in. Ain't want 'em for go. You know. Child pick watermillon. Ketch up one - I forgotten what pound they say. Roll. Roll duh watermillon. Roll 'em on snake! They say, 'Snake bite 'em?' Child say, 'No. Must a scratch.' See blood run on boy leg. Child get unconscion that minute. Gone right out. Jess so. Ease out so. I cry. I cry!"
Lillie: "You know 'em, Mom Hagar?"
Hagar: "No! No! Lill, fever got me! Cold get me till my rump dead. Got hospital boy rouse one time say, 'Ma, less go home! Red stripe snake bite me.'"
Hagar: "Klu Klux?" (Chin cupped in hand - elbow on knee - looking way off - )
"Reckon that the way them old timey people call 'em. Have to run way, you go church. Going to come in to ketch you or do any mischievous thing - come carry you place they going beat you - in suit of white. Old white man to Wilderness Plantation. Parish old man name. Treat his wife bad. Come to house, ain't crack. Come right in suit of white. Drag him out - right to Woodstock there where Mr. Dan get shoot. Put a beating on that white man there till he mess up! 'Oman never gone back to him yet!
"A man was name (I forgot what the man name was) was a white man mess round wid a colored woman and they didn't do a God thing but gone and put a beating on you,
darling! Come in. Grab you and go. Put a beating on you till you can't see. Know they got a good grub to lick you wid. They git done you can't sit down. Ain't going carry you just for play with."
"Mom Hagar, you wanter vote?"
Hagar: "Oh my God!"
"Aunt Hagar are the colored people happier now than the old timey slavery time people?"
Hagar: "Young people now got the world by force. Don't care. Got more trick than law low. Tricky! Can't beat the old people. Can't equal to 'em. Some the young people you say 'AMEN' in church they make fun o' you. Every tub stand on his own bottom. Can't truss 'em.
"Ma say some dem plan to run way. Say, 'Less run! Less run!' Master ketch dem and fetch dem in. Lay 'em cross barrel. Beat dem till they wash in blood. Fetch 'em back. Place 'em cross the barrel - hogsket barrel - Christ! They ramp wash in blood! Beat Ma sister. He sister sickly. Never could clear task - like he want. My Ma have to work he
self to death to help Henritts so sickly. Clear task to keep from beat. Some obersheer mean. Oaks labor. (Meaning
her Ma and ma's family were laboring on Oaks Plantation - the plantation where Gov.Joseph Allston and Theodosia his wife lived on Waccamaw) Mother Sally Doctor. Ma got four chillun. One wasEmmeline, one Getty, one Katrine one Hagar! I older than Gob (Katrine). Could a call doctor for Gob if I had anysense." (Big nuff to gone for doctor when Gob born.)
"Stay in the field!Stay in the field!Stay in the field till the war been end!"(This is Aunt Hagar's favorite song)Mom Hagar Brown - age 77Murrells Inlet, S. C.July 4th, 1937.(Project #-1655, Mrs. Genevieve W. Chandler, Murrells Inlet, S. C., Georgetown County, FOLKLORE)(Some recollections of Mom Hagar Brown)Visitor: "Mom Hagar, how old did you say you were?"Hagar: "Don't take care of my age! Had me gang of chillun when ma die. I had Samuel, I had Elias, I had Arthur, I
had Beck. Oh, my God! Man, go way! I had Sally! I had Sally again. I didn't want to give the name 'Sally' again.Say, 'First Sally come carry girl.' Ma say, 'Gin 'em name 'Sally!' I faid (afraid) that other one come back for him.Had to do what Ma say Had to please 'em. Ma name Sally. Ma chillun Catrine, Hagar, Emmeline, Gettie. I bornColumbia. Come Freedom, when we left Columbia, ma finer till we get in Charston. Freedom come, battle till weget 'Oaks.' (Battled till they reached the 'Oaks Plantation - -.') Stay there till people gin (begin) move bout. ComeWatsaw. Gone 'Collins Creek.' In the 'Reb Time' you know, when they sell you bout - Massa sell you all about.Broke through them briar and branch and thing to go to church. Them patrol get you. Church 'Old Bethel.' You don'tknow 'em. Been gone!
"I yeddy ma! (heard my mother) Ma say, 'I too glad my chillun aint been here Rebs time! Gin you task you ratherdrown than not done that task! Ma say Auntie poor we weak creeter, couldn't strain. Ma had to strain to fetch sisterup with her task. Dere (there) in rice-field.
Ma say they on flat going to islant (island), see cloud, pray God send rain! When rooster crow, say they pray God tostop 'em! Rooster crow, broke up wedder! When rooster crow, scare 'em. Broke up rain! Ma say they drag the pot inthe river when the flat going cross. Do this to make it rain. Massa! Don't done you task, driver wave that whip, putyou over the barrel, beat you so blood run down! I wouldn't take 'em! Ma say, 'I too glad my chillun aint born then!'
"Any cash money? Where you gwine get 'em? Only cash the gospel! Have to get the gospel. Give you cloth! Giveyou ration! Jess (just according) many chillun you got. Ma say chillun feed all the corn to the fowl.Chillun say, 'Papa love he fowl!Papa love he fowl!Three peck a day!Three peck a day!"Parent come to door. Not a grain of corn leave! Poor people! Come, drop! Not a grain! Everybody on the hill help.
One give this; one give that. Handle 'em light! (Very careful with victuals). Gone you till Saddy (Saturday.) (Will
last you until Saturday when you are rationed again.)"When Ma get down, she say, 'I gone leave! I gone leave here now! But, oh, Hagar! Be a mudder and fadder forKatrine!'
"I say, (I call Katrine 'Gob') I say, 'Better tell Gob to look atter me!'
"Ma say, 'When I gone I ax the Master when he take me, to send drop o' rain to let true believer know I gone toGlory!'"When they lift the body to take 'em to the church, rain, 'Tit! Tit! Tit! Tit!' on the house! At the gate, moon shine
out' Going to the church! Bury to the 'Oaks.'"Gob say, 'Titty, all you chillun bury at Oaks. Ma to Oaks. How come you wanter bury Watsaw?""I say, 'When the trumpet sound, I yeddy!' (When the trumpet sounds, I'll hear it!)"I marry right to Collins Creek hill. Big dance out the door! I free! I kick up! Ma, old rebs time people!"Mom Hagar Brown Age - (She says 'Born first o' Freedom' but got her age from a contemporary and reported 77)
Murrells Inlet, S. C.(Project #-1655, Mrs. Genevieve W. Chandler, Murrells Inlet, S. C., Georgetown County, FOLKLORE)(Brown) EX-SLAVE STORY (Verbatim)"My old man can 'member things and tell you things and he word carry. We marry to Turkey. Hill Plen tation. Het
supper. Cake, wine, and all. Kill cow, heg, chicken and all. That time when you marry, so much to cat! Finance
wedding! How -"We 'lamp-oil chillun'; they 'loctric light' chillun new! We call our wedding 'lamp-oil wedding'. Hall jan full o'people; out-of-door jan full. Stand before the chimbley.
"When that first war come through, we born. I don't know just when I smell for come in the world.
"Big storm? Yinnah talk big storm hang people up en tree? (Heah!) Shake? I here in house. House gone,'Rack-a-rack-a-racker!'"My husband run out - with me and my baby left in bed! Baby just come in time of the shake."When I first have sense, I 'member I walk on the frest bare-feet. Cow-belly shee."My husband mother have baby on the flat going to Marion and he Auntie Cinda have a baby on that flat."From yout (youth) I been a Brown and marry a Brown; title never change."Old timey sing?
01. "Wish I had a hundred dog And half was hound! Take it in my fadder field And we run the rabbit down! Chorus: Now he hatch
1He hatch!He hatch!And I run the rabbit down!
2 I wish I had a hundred head o' dogAnd half of them was hound I'd take 'em back in my bacce fieldAnd run the rabbit down.Chorus: Now he hatch - he hatch!He hatch - he hatch!Now he hatch - he hatch!And I run the rabbit down!"That was a sing we used to have on the plantation. Then we make up sing - we have sing for chillun. Make 'em go
sleep. Every one have his own sing."Bye-o-baby!Go sleepy!Bye-o-baby!Go sleepy!What a big alligaterComing to catchThis one boy!"Diss here the Watson one boy child!Bye-o-baby go sleepy!What a big alligatorComing to catch this one boy!Emmie Jordan: "Missus, I too plague with bad heart trouble to give you the sing!"Song and conversation Given by Mem Louisa Brown (Born time of 'Reb people War') Waverly Mills, S. C. Near -
Parkeraville, S. C.(Project #-1655, Jessie A. Butler, Charleston, S. C., Approximately 930 words)Brown, Hager -- Additional Interview"All the week Mattie talk 'Georgie.'" (Georgie a neighbor who died recently) I say, 'Hush, Mattie! Georgie gone
cross!'
Pinkie been to Hannah. See Gussie and Joe. Say, 'Hager, hear anything?' I say, 'No.'
Say, 'Boy kill a man!' Easter say, 'I hear he didn't dead!' But I hear, 'Dead!'
Was man what have boy. Pay him out the gang. Four men gone to boy house. White mens. Gang 'em. One say, 'Fair fight!' Take all knife - take all tool away. One slip man knife. Man cut boy. Boy break. Gone to wood yard. Got ax. Buss he brains out. Man die on way to hospital. Georgie. Georgie dere in grave. (Georgie's Boy's Ma) "Can't bear 'em. Georgie gone. Dere in grave! I see boy Pa. I say, 'Francis, I yeddy!' Francis say,
'I yeddy to church. Man cut boy down! Wonneh yeddy enty? Yeddy three white men gone boy house. Burt shove duh door uh forbid them way. Take 'em way and one them three slip 'em knife.'
Zackie: "Mom Hager, I heard it this way. Boy and man drinking. They was to filling station. Mr. Burt say, 'Quit arguing and gone on home!' Diss man say he didn't see the ax lying dere. If ax hadn't left dere that wouldn't a done. Man wouldn't a dead. Trouble been diss. Take diss liquor question. Liquor made for some good purpose. I drink 'em. When I get too much Christmas and Fourth of July, I ain't take no more. I gone in woods and hide. Trouble been, 'can't find money to buy it. They say whiskey and 'Picoolo' jest pick you pocket low."
Hager. "I can shout! All the 'Piccolo' I want. Well Francis say, 'I yeddy! I yeddy bout duh boy!' Georgia dead and we come long wid body, boy out there porch dead drunk! I say, 'Here we gone to bury boy Mama and boy gone!' Nice caslet. Church ketch fire." (All shouting - warming up with spirit) "Gin to shout. Boy gone up. Turn he caslet over. Man shill, 'Reap what he sow.' Bible say, 'Honor you Father and Mother.' You reap or chillun reap. What-some-ever you ain't reap - chillun reap. Some look in porch. Taking Georgie to graveyard.
'Who dat dere?'
'Dat boy.'
'Lie dere dead drunk.'
Zackie: "Likker'll make you not know you mama."
Source: Mom Hager Brown - age 77
Ex-slave
Murrells Inlet, S. C.
(Brown, Hager, Murrells Inlet, S. C., Mrs. Genevieve W. Chandler, Interviewer, Murrells Inlet, Georgetown County, S. C.)
Brown, Hager
"Dat dark skinned man have duh teet (had the tooth ache) and duh boss give him sumptin for duh teet. And Lill give him dinner and duh coffee. And he set right here and the Cap'n ain't make 'em go back to work. Old lady he cousin. Sech a testimony leave! You know how people'll do. Give her testimony jess (just) like you will do. (Come on Pinnacle, fuh eat) Shout and class walk right out to her death!"
BIRTHING JULIE BABY
"Julie baby come! Gie 'um a name so they kin turn 'em in. Just hafter turn in he mudder and fadder, how old he is and how old is he Daddy. Put 'em in. How old he Mammy - put 'em in; if he farmer, put 'em in. Put dat down dere. Dat going! Call duh doctor name - HECK! If Cun Becky to a patient and can't come, I put it through. After I get 'em through, I tell 'em 'Go get Cun Becky!' Ain't cut cord. That HIM business! (Cun Becky's - who is a licensed mid-wife). If I ain't got 'em in when she come, then she gwine to it and we fight 'em. When he come, then she gwine to it and we fight 'em. When he come" ('He' means Cun Becky) "I tuh sleep. Tell 'em 'Woman, water on fire. Fuh warm.' I right in chair sleep by stove. Julie in bed. After he git over, gal so glad! So I tell 'em, 'Sleep all you want to sleep' You done fight that big fight. Is a battle fought alright! Wrop 'em up and wrop 'em (baby) up warm. Kinder
coolish you know! (August in S. C. Hot little cabin) Did coolish cause after while I get up and put on sweater. Workhard. That a stirring business when you get there.Lay on he Ma bed foot.
("I bet I hide 'em and they never get 'em! (Referring to her bottle of milk - for which she had walked miles.)"I jess rub. Put 'em straight. That Julie stand on my back! When I gone in (in to the room where the sick woman laywaiting for help to birth her child) I tell 'em, 'I come to kill or be kill, Gal! You ready?
"How I come? Walk! Wake me up. Chillun so scare! I walk. Water splash! Splash, 'I ain't know when I fell out thebed! I say 'Whey is I? Feel! Walk the foot log - fall off. Can't take the log Get to house, kick out my wet shoe. Drawmy string tight! Have my string draw. Tell Julie 'Come on! Come on! Do like I tell you. Come on!'
"Here first light, Lucille come hail! I say, 'Lucille, Trouble over! What I gie 'em fuh eat? Gie 'em a leetle piece o'slipjack (slap-jack - pan-cake - batter-cake) leetle bread soft and tea. Te that gal, 'Do Julie, do don't kill you sef fuheat!' (Do don't kill your self eating.")
RATTLESNAKE"I been gwine in the woods. Here duh road; here duh rut. I been see rattle-snake in we woods! I look and here thesnake head jess so! (She illustrated, by holding up one long brown, skinny finger, the way the snake held his headup) Got on he cross! (His blood up!) I can't kill 'em! Throw stick and limb at 'em. One day agin gone in woods. Getstick and scrange for iron. (make ironing fire) Cut the scrub oak. See a log. Pick up the log. Pick up the log here thesnake onder the log in he (queil!) quile! Run get LE-roy. Bring he gun. Pull down --- Leroy get a long pull! (A long
piece of grapevine) He pull 'em and pull 'em to the yard! Sich a snake! I been for pitch chunk at 'em. (Chunks of'lightard' - light-wood-knots) Leroy finish 'em wid he gun. I throw at 'em snake go,"DI! DI! DI!DI! DI!DI! DI!DI!"I pick up my coat (lifted her petticoat and skirt - she demonstrated by lifting knee high) and through the woods I
gwine! Run so I ain't know how hard I gwine!"Got a sack (pushing her jar of milk down in a flour sack). So nobody ain't know what I got. Truss God!"Missus: "Come back Monday! Do Mom Hager, please don't die fore Monday!"Hager: "If I wash to Miss Gillikin I'll come. If I ain't come - I ain't wash. If I does wash, I be here. Truss God till the
end!"Source: Mom Hager Brown (acting mid-wife, unlicensed)Age 77 - 9 (born 'Reb time day')Murrells Inlet, S. C.(Brown, Hager, Murrells Inlet, S. C., Mrs. Genevieve W. Chandler, Interviewer, Murrells Inlet, Georgetown, S. C.)Brown, HagerMom Hager: "Dr. Dick have represent my tonsil. Tell me. Say h represent me to the hospital. And I tell 'em I'll fight
my way glory. Death coming!
"My Ma have a hand-brella (umbrella) wid a white knob. Turn bull and turn all kinder sumpting nudder. Right therethat muster shed: Dat been plat-eye!"Dat Teena? Don't let 'em put dey hand in your eye! Some people gouge 'em. Aint going let me hurry." (Mom Hager
was afraid Teena was going to cheat me in a business transaction - two old grinding rocks I wanted to buy.) Let me
go in she yard! I'll tief 'em!"Hope duh Lord will forgive me for short rememberinOh, git on boardThe gospel train is comingSome of these morning!Git on board!"Yeddy? Be here in the morning!"Source: Mom Hager Brown - age 77Murrells Inlet, S. C.July 6th, 1937Brown, Hager"I tell Mattie 'I gwine carry my coat. I might wet!' Mind! Had a time to Salem yestiddy! I shout my coat out! Put 'em
on bench. Coat gone! Man's less house and land and I say, 'Coat gone! Lord will pervide!' Shout till I shout out my
coat. Sperrit take me, I shout out my coat."Abraham Wright going to preach tonight. I say, 'I'm a leese (least) among the postle.' Ax everybody to come outand see the fun!
"Where Mattie marry? Right to my do (door)! Mattie marry to my do! (door) People dere like the leaf on duh tree.Had a flowers yard. And people dance and beat the flowers down till they wuzn't a flowers been in that yard. Brassband and kittle drum and the bass and them horn!
"Coat gone! I say 'Trust God and go to cross! Dat you battle ax!' Ay, King! Do, Massa!
"Teena got duh rock in he yad (yard) and you want 'em? Aint gie 'em to yinnah? I go dere and tief 'um! Tief 'um outduh yad! Big rock?"(It was impossible to decide whether my old saint was going to throw all her principle overboard and 'tief' for me or
not. Her eyes were full of mischief - her expression and tone militant.)June 21, 1937."Mom Hagar, how many children has Aunt Liddy?" Hagar: "Far as I know got Fessor (Professor), Knox, Willie,
Dave, Shedrick. I wash today. Clothes been wash on the line. Line come down 'Yop! Yop!' So sorry dat line fall.
Wanter cry. Big washing. Line come down 'Blop!' Lord Jesus! Have a time today.
"Slaves? Dey put 'em in the grave live! And you holler under the dirt till you weary and hafter dead. Old timey
people talk! My Ma does talk fore she dead. Beat! Beat! Beat the box. Yeddy my Ma talk 'em. I say, 'Good thing I
aint been here!' Ma say, 'No, dater, you couldn't do nothing - - not a thing.' Yeddy too much o' thing. Yeddy! Aint
want to lie! And I ain't going to crack!
"Ben cut a log there for toe don't wet! Go cross the log!"
Mom Hagar Brown - age 77
Murrells Inlet, S.C.
(Brown, Hagar, Murrells Inlet, S. C., Georgetown County, Mrs. Genevieve W. Chandler)
"Mom Hagar, what was the text yesterday?"
"Good! But me aint no hand to fetch no text! I ax Andrew. I couldn't get 'um, daughter" (She said Datter with a short 'a') Me ain't have no head to fetch no ting. Beg Andrew to scratch the text and bring you. Gracious God! Jesus! We had a sermont yestidday! Mudder Day! Mudder Day all over the world! That man preach! He preach Mudder Day! He ring down on Mudder Day. Mudder teach chillun right. Clare (I declare) that man preach Mudder Day till he preach me out my sense! Know I won't be here nother Mudder's Day. Got to move! (shout) Say, Mudder Day, again, I ain't here! Baby in arms. Rachel own. Got the child. Had to pitch up! Rachel call:
"Git 'um from Grand Ma! Git 'um fore Grand Ma drop!"
"Fire take the church. Heart commence to turn over! I say, 'Take this child! Take 'um!' Rachel take the baby (Aunt Hagar shouted up and down the aisle) Rose on for Mudder and suit of white. Great Lord! The whole thing been jump! Fire take the house! (The Lord's spirit filled the church), I done! Easter got the baby. You know. I want to rush her out all I can. (She said kin!) Anything I want, I hold out my hand any say, 'Jehovah, I pend on you!' (Cross fox-terrier runs into kitchen) Look at puppy! Do, Lord! Ain't going meddle me, enty?) I look on Easter. She mudderless and fadderless child. Them chillun!'
"Berry? Everything plow up. Plow up! Put in four sacks of fertilize. Allus (always) rake straw and rotten 'em in coop and pen and put you ashes and wash water. Make good fertilize. Tater bed aint so tick (thick) with sprout yet.
"Lil, you say how Gracie? Fine! Fine! Fine! Gracie fine! Walk way to Moody house.
"You take this to Sandy Island?" (Looking at photograph of old friend.)
"That's Liddy! That's Liddy! That's Liddy! Sho as you born die! That's him sho! 'Here you gal!' (Addressing the photograph) That's him! That's him! (Aunt Hagar was very pleased and overcome the wonder of photography) Man! That's him! (Aunt Hagar said 'Da very emphatically when she meant 'That's.)
"Aunt Hagar, all those pains in your limbs must be caused by a tooth. Any roots in your mouth?"
"Aint tooth in my head! I tell 'em, 'Tooth do this, take 'um out! Every one.! 'Toot out! All!'"
"Aunt Hagar, you've been around a lot when new babies come, d you every have any trouble?"
"Live they help they self down; dead it tough time. Foot for most? Some come head fust (first.) Foot fore-most they wise! Pl sense! Glad when they come foot fore-most --- they wise. Cod? (Ca Dat's cod. (That's a caul!) Thin lak a paper. You call 'em veil? Some calls 'um 'coil.' Take that off. Make tea outer (out of) um (them.) Feed baby till he all gone. Take the spell off. Can't see 'um. Can't see hant. When 'um born take 'um from he face. Make tea. 'um till he all gone. Drink 'em all. Spell take off. Can't see
(In the last paragraph Mom Hagar tells how to counteract the of being born with a caul. When asked, "Why undo the spell?" she answered, "Scare 'um. See hant keep 'em scare all the time.")
She still does one washing for a family of five and helps her Grand, Easter, with another weekly. She insists she wants to 'die in the field.' That is 'die in harness' --- work till the end.)
(When Mom Hagar leaves the house she always says on the doorstep, arms lifted toward Heaven, "Gold bless the house and keep the soul.)
(It is an interesting fact that Mom Hagar Brown makes a tea of the caul and feeds every drop to the new born child to prevent its being able to foretell future events and see the supernatural where as some are proud of their powers.)
(On powers of one born with a caul.)
"You see, Miss Jin, Aunt Hagar does that so they wont grow up scared. When anyone like that they all the time seeing things and it'll scare them if you be standing by 'em and they say, 'See! See that big old man yonder!' You won't see nothing tall.
"Miss Jin, one of the hardest things I ever do was to bury that thing. I feel jest (just) like I was burying a piece of the lady or the child one. We always burns such as that."
Lillie Knox --- age 35
Murrells Inlet, S. C.
Georgetown County
